FAQ-All-Grain EquipmentQuestion: Sparge tips:
Answer:
-Sparge temperature should be around 165 °F-172 °F. Much higher and tannin extraction becomes an issue.
-Stop collecting wort if pH rises above 6.0. Too much tannin extraction occurs above this.
-Keep an inch layer of water above your mash bed to avoid a compacted mash and a possible stuck sparge.
-Sparge at a rate of about 1 qt./min. Sparging too fast will compact the grain bed and decreases the efficiency.
-Stop sparging when the specific gravity of your runnings is below 1.008....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Why do I need a false bottom? What purpose does it serve?
Answer:
A false bottom is kind of a screen that aids in separating the sweet wort from the mash/ grains. A false bottom is usually a round piece of metal with lots of little holes drilled in it. It sits at the bottom of your mash tun, and is either curved or has legs that allow it to sit an inch or so above the bottom of the mash tun. When you sparge, the grain forms a kind of bed on top of the false bottom, allowing only the wort to filter through. Thus, your spigot doesn't get clogged with grain when you open it....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Why do I need to stir my wine when adding stabilizers and fining agents?
Answer:
When it comes time to stabilize and fine the wine, it has to be stirred vigorously enough to drive off all of the CO2 that has accumulated during fermentation. This is because the dissolved gas will attach to the fining agents, preventing them from settling out. You need to stir hard enough to make the wine foam, and keep stirring until it will no longer foam. Only then will the gas be driven off so the fining agents can work their magic. The Whip Wine Degasser (#G9100) is the perfect tool for this....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Fly Sparging vs. Batch Sparging
Answer:
First let’s give you’re a little background on what the two types of sparging are.
Fly sparging is the process of using a sparge arm, or any device that allows the water to
sprinkle over the grains in the mash tun. A sparge arm is used to prevent the channeling of
the water so that the highest extraction rate can be achieved. The brewer’s goal is to match
the flow of the water going into the mash tun with the flow of the wort going into the brew
kettle. While fly sparging you do not want to open the spigots all the way.
Batch sparging is the same idea as fly sparging, but you do not need a sparge arm. With batch sparging, you completely drain the mash tun of liquid. Then you add more water to the mash tun and stir. We recommend replacing the lid and waiting 20 minutes before you drain the newly added water. After the 20 minutes, you drain the wort, and begin the boil process.
Batch sparging allows you to save time because you can open the spigots all the way. You do not have to monitor the flow rate as it does not matter. And, you do not have to take specific gravity readings as the gravity will not change throughout the process.
...Click to Read full Answer
Question: How do I crack grains properly? I know I don't want to make flour...
Answer:
Getting a good crack is important for getting the best mash efficiency and extraction rate. If cracked grain is too finely ground it will turn into porridge. If the grains aren’t cracked enough it will result in a poor conversion rate. A good crack has a range of particle sizes that create a compromise between extraction and lautering. You are looking to crack just the outer shell of the grain. A mill is the ideal way to crack grain, but a rolling pin, beer bottle, etc. will work as well. Just place the grains in a zip lock bag and crack away....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Just how hard is all-grain brewing?
Answer:
Brewing all-grain is much easier than most people think. It basically involves two additional steps: Mashing and Sparging. After these two steps are completed, the boiling process is exactly the same as when extract brewing. All-grain brewing has the added benefit of improving your brew's quality, composition and consistency.
Mashing: When starches are converted to sugars.
Sparging: When the sweet wort is rinsed from the crushed grains....Click to Read full Answer
Question: How can I avoid the "dough balls" that are common when I am mashing in?
Answer:
When I am mashing in, I tend to get a lot of “dough balls”. It takes me a while to get these broken up, and by that time, my mash has lost 2 or 3 degrees. Am I using too fine of a crush? How can I avoid the dough balls?
As far as the crush goes, you are looking for the grains to be cracked open, but not ground into flour. This being said, there are a few ways to avoid the dreaded dough balls. Try starting with hot (170 ºF) water in your mash tun, and adding the grain a little bit at a time, dispersing it as you go. With each addition, stir it up a little bit. With a typical 10-12 lb. grain bill, you should divide it into five to eight additions. Method number two requires an additional set of hands. If someone else is available, have them stir the mash as you slowly add the grain to the mash tun. A third method would be to pour your grains into the mash tun before the hot water goes in. Using this method, you should dough in at a slightly higher temp (3-4 ºF), as you will lose a little heat while you are stirring up the mash....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Why does all grain brewing take longer then extract?
Answer:
All grain brewing takes longer then extract because you are making the beer from scratch. It is kind of like
making a cake from flour, butter, sugar, etc. instead of buying a cake mix. The all grain process is about
extracting the sugars from the grain to make your beer. In extract brewing, you already have this part of the
process done for you. It can take 4 to 6 hours for the extraction of the sugars to occur, and that is where the extra time comes in.
You need this extra time to heat the water, convert the starches into sugar, and then you can boil the wort like
normal. Brewers use the all grain method because it gives you total control of what goes into your beer. You
get to choose all the grains, all the hops, and the yeast. With extract brewing you are somewhat limited by the
company that makes the extract. You can choose how light, or dark, the extract is, but you do not have control
over what grains are used in the extract making process.
All grain brewing is the same process that the commercial brewers use when making their beer. They start
with the raw ingredients, and end up with beer in the end. For those that are looking to be as close as
possible to the professionals, all grain brewing is the only way to go. You have the most control over your beer
and you can experiment with the flavor of the beer when you all grain brew.
Is all grain brewing for everyone? No, time limits are a major reason why people do not get into all grain
brewing.Plus, equipment can be expensive for this type of brewing.
But, the results can be unmatched by extract brewing. The process itself is not as complicated as it appears. After a time or two, all grain brewing will become like second nature to you.
For most, the extra time and effort is worth it. ...Click to Read full Answer
Question: How can I use the March pump?
Answer:
When using a pump in your brewery, you no longer have to rely on gravity to move your strike water, sparge water, and wort on brew day. So no more tiered brewery structures to weld! Using a pump in your system can allow you to design your brewery such that CIP (clean in place) becomes possible, simply recirculating a cleaner (like PBW) and sanitizer (like StarSan) through the wort pathways....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Do I need a high-output burner to brew all-grain? Can I use a high-output burner indoors?
Answer:
While a high-output burner is not required to brew all-grain, it is highly recommended. The reason is that when brewing all-grain, you are boiling a much higher volume than you would brewing extract. Doing this on your kitchen stove, it will take a very long time for the wort to come to a boil. A high-output burner will allow you to bring the wort to a full boil in a fraction of the time, and also ensures that you get a good, rolling boil. As far as using them indoors, the answer is NO. Midwest recommends NEVER using any propane burner indoors. If the weather is cold, you may want to utilize your garage, but leave the door open a little, as the fumes could be dangerous in an enclosed area....Click to Read full Answer
Question: Stuck sparge?
Answer:
Has your wort stopped flowing during your sparge? There are two ways to fix this:
- Try opening your lautertun outflow valve and blow back into it. This may clear the path and allow your wort to flow again. Be careful with this technique because if the flow starts again you may end up with a mouth full of 170 °F wort.
- Reset the compacted mash bed by gently stirring the mash again. You will need to recirculate again to achieve a clear wort. Continue the sparge....Click to Read full Answer
Question: What do I need to get into all grain brewing from extract brewing?
Answer:
It is great that you are ready to move on to the next step in brewing. All grain brewing isn’t that much harder than extract brewing, but it does take some specialty equipment. We want to say that we aren’t going to cover
the fermentation equipment that you need because we assume you already have that, or you already know
what you need to add. Also, there are a lot of ways to set up an all grain system, we are just going to go for a
simple set up in this article. The same concepts work for any system, just replace items where you feel fit.
Basic Equipment
1. 7.5 gallon brew pot, or larger
2. A 10 gallon water cooler (Gatorade cooler) with lid
3. A 5 gallon water cooler with lid
4. 2- Weld-B-Gone spigots
5. False bottom
6. High Temp Tubing
7. Propane Burner
Optional Equipment
1. Sparge Arm
2. High Temp Pump
...Click to Read full Answer
Question: Why does the strike water of 170 °F not damage the grains' enzymes?
Answer:
I’m getting ready to make my first all-grain batch, and I’m a little confused. I thought that the temperature of 170 °F stops the enzymes in the grains from converting the starches into sugars. My questions is this: If my mash temp is supposed to be 155 °F, but the strike water is supposed to be about 15 °F higher making it 170 °F - isn’t that going to hurt the enzymes that are in the grains? (until the temperature comes down to 155 °F or so after adding the grains?)
Denaturing the enzymes also takes time at 170 °F. Your grain being at room temperature will rapidly decrease the temperature of the strike water, so you will not lose any of those precious enzymes....Click to Read full Answer
Question: What’s a mash/lauter tun? How does it work?
Answer:
A mash tun, also called a lauter tun, is a vessel in which you infuse your grains; usually a large cooler (or kettle) equipped with a false bottom and a valve with a spigot that allows you to draw off the sweet wort. In order to extract the sugar from the grains, you place them in the mash tun and cover them with water that is heated to 156 to 168 °F......Click to Read full Answer
Question: Why does my efficiency keep turning out low?
Answer:
There can be several reasons why an all grain batch may turn out with a low efficiency; we are going to give you a few of the most common.
1) The water was not the correct temperature. When it comes to all grain brewing it is very important to make sure you are at the correct temperature during the mash. The ideal temperature is 152° F for the proper conversion to take place. If you are too low, the starches will not convert into sugars.
2) The mash time was too short. Some newer all grain brewers are not aware of how important time can be during certain stages of the process. You do not want to try and save time during the mash process because the grains will not have enough time to convert the starch into sugar, and you will end up with a low starting gravity. Most mash time frames will be between 60 – 90 minutes long.
3) The crack of the grain was too fine or not enough. What you want to look for in a crack is that the outer shell of the grain is cracked. Use a beer bottle or rolling pin to crack the grain if you feel that the grain is not cracked enough.
4) The sparge time was too short. This is especially true when using the fly sparge method. Do not cut time off during the sparging process. Keep in mind that fly sparging will take 60 – 90 minutes for most recipes, where batch sparging only needs about 20 minutes....Click to Read full Answer
Question: What is sparging?
Answer:
Sparging is a simple way to increase your all-grain brewhouse efficiency and get the most out of your grain. The stainless steel sparge arm is the perfect way to maintain a gentle, even sparge water flow without disturbing your mash bed. It works well with our cooler mashing system. Find and set the flow you want from the hot liquor tank and sparge away!
Stainless Steel Sparge Arm: The sparge arm is made of 3/8" stainless steel with .028” laser drilled holes. The sparge arm is 10 3/4" long and height adjustable. The acrylic mounting bracket is 16” long. No brass = no lead!...Click to Read full Answer
All-Grain Equipment
